24
WILLIAM SCHLICHTER
“Lieutenant, you’ll be debriefed and filled in on the Pentagon’s plan. I just know fuel has become an issue, so resupplying any large troop movements once the retake begins will be difficult.” “I understand, sir.” The colonel turns without another word. No. No, you don’t, son, but I’ve my orders. You don’t even get ‘a need to know’ pass. I doubt you’d follow orders if you knew what Washington was planning.
Hannah drags a sandbag off the bottom of a tent wall. The seam between the base and the side has torn. She uses the tear to crawl inside and slides past stacks of boxes all marked FEMA. She knows these supplies were not issued by the military. The Bowlin brothers must have found it while out hunting for survivors. Her father was foolish to have trusted these men. He may not want to risk the soldiers, but at what cost? It’s their job to protect civilians. Hannah reaches into a box and removes FEMA-labeled beans. Burly, hairy arms lock around her like a vice as a shit-smelling hand clamps over her mouth. “What do we have here?” She jerks once in an attempt to escape. Her accoster bear hugs her so tight she loses a breath. “Now, now, pretty, can’t have you going anywhere.” He carries her like she weighs nothing into the command tent of Kade Bowlin. Hannah closes her eyes. “Get the fuck out! Shitfurbrains!” Kade chucks an empty wine bottle at the burly man, barely missing him. Hannah feels herself being spun around and the door flap brushes the side of her head. The scene in front of her is etched permanently into her memory. Kade Bowlin has the young mother bent over the table with her jeans around her ankles. She has the look of holding back screaming in pain as if Kade had been doing something with the bottle before he tossed it. What was he doing to her? Hannah forces the image from her thoughts.